Sincerely - Lachlan

Chapter Eleven

I rub my eyes as Madi walks over to Natalie's kitchen, searching for some food. I blink a few times, nothing but confusion running through me.

We follow her, sitting down at the bar stools near the edge of the counter.

I raise my hand and point at her. "B-But... You're dead!"

She chuckles, shaking her head. "Oh sweetie..." I raise my eyebrow, "You've never been very bright."

"You horrible son of a bitch." Natalie says, no harshness in her tone. She is actually smiling, no... Smirking.  "Don't I know it."

Madi opens the fridge, frowning at the lack of food inside. "What the... No food?"

"There is some cheese... and bread." Natalie sighs, almost to break the silence that was yet to come when Madi told us exactly how she faked her own death. "Okay, okay. I know you are all wondering why I would do such an awful thing or how I did it. Unfortenately, it is a long story I was only planning on telling one person." She smirks at me, making it clear that I was the one she wanted to tell her 'master plan' to. I was feeling rather flattered to be honest.

"Not you!" She raises her voice, chuckling at my stupidity. "I was talking about Natalie, but I guess if you really feel that honored about it. You can act like I came back to the land of the kangaroos just to see smartass Lachlan who cheated on my friend, did not call or text her for weeks, apologize until almost a year later when she came to YOU, and finally… Beat the shit out Preston when he was kissing your ex-girlfriend. I mean damn! It’s pretty obvious the guy code is not an actual thing right? You can date your ‘buddies’ exes! Oh wait… You already did, huh, didn’t you? Too bad Jerome couldn’t tell you weren’t actually drunk that one night you kissed Natalie at the truth or dare game. Oooh- I would’ve loved him to beat your ass. Now that would be entertaining. Can we just agree-” Natalie interrupts her, almost like she is bored of this surprisingly insulting speech.

"You're stalling." Madi smirks at her, she claps her hands slowly. “See? This girl isn’t completely stupid.”

“Still a little angry at me?”

“You bet.” She replies, “People can hold grudges for a long time, Natalie. In fact I am quite good at holding grudges. Actually, very good.”

“Just tell us the damn story!”

Madi smiles while she grabs a loaf of bread from the cabinet. “Alright, sit back, relax, this will take a while.”

She begins, talking in a very calm tone of voice. It doesn’t go up or down. It stays the same. “I wasn’t in a state of happiness. I wanted to die. There was no reason behind it. I wanted everyone to feel pain, I wanted to not be the only one that had to take all this… This chaos!”

“I was going to kill myself, but then something just shocked through me. A moment of realization, I guess. Something inside of me just laughed, something mean, rude, careless. But, it was perfect.”

“I was going to fake my own death.”

“Everyone could finally feel the pain. I wanted you all to be hurt! All of you! I don’t know what I was thinking, but I cut so deeply so many times I was scared I might die. I told myself I had failed. ‘Madi you’re going to neverland.’ I said, trying to tell myself this is what I wanted all along. Then I started thinking about you guys. I was growing guilty, feeing miserable as I heard Mitch’s footsteps, ready to tell me to sleep like he always does. His footsteps grew louder and his breathing more panicked as he opened my door. He screamed so loud for everyone. His voice still brings me pain to this day.”

“Jerome! Adam! Jason! Ian! EVERYONE! GET UP NOW! He screamed, and drop to his knees. I felt his hand grab mine, it was shaking violently. Everything was getting so, so distant. I felt as if I was miles away from them. Right before I blacked out I heard Jerome’s voice.. He was… He was-”

“He was what?” Natalie asks. “He was saying I would be alright.”

“Once I came through a few hours later Mitch stood there in awe. His eyes teary. He said ‘Oh god you scared me.’”

“But, that wasn’t the worst part.” A tear strolled down Madi’s cheeks, she wiped it away with your thumb.

“They left… Visiting hours were over the doctor said. And once every single one of them was gone, I knew- I knew I had to let someone in on the plan. When I was going to be released from both the hospital and a fucking mental center, I was going to call him.”

“Him? I ask, “Who is him?”

“I am getting to that.”

“One day my heart finally did stop, Jerome told me he watched as I grew unconscious again and the heart monitor beeped loudly. He said he screamed loudly as everyone pushed him out, they pushed him away. Blah, blah, they saved me and I grabbed the doctors’ arms. They looked at me, confused as hell.”

“I told them… Tell that man I’m dead. Tell everyone that tries to come in here I am dead! I knew that was when, I had succeeded. Days went by, then weeks, and almost months. Finally I was free and the only friend of mine that knew I was alive was ready to pick me up.”

“Preston smiled at me shaking his head, ‘You are a horrible person’ he told me. I laughed too, ‘Oh you are just happy I told you.’”

“What!? Why not me?” I shout, slightly offended. “You have a big mouth and obviously, not good at keeping secrets. Plus I knew Natalie was coming back to Australia to see you so, I was smart.. Unlike you, and knew that you were going to be with her all the time.”

“And he took me back here!”

Natalie stares at her with a look like ‘Are you serious? Oh my god I am totally about to kill you.’

“I don’t whether to be happy you are alive or made because you made me cry in front of Lachlan.” Madi smiles, nodding her head slowly. “You can be both.”

I smack my hand on the table basically telling them, Lachlan is talking. Pay attention to me. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I am totally bored because of that fifteen minute explanation that was really necessary, really. I mean you could’ve gotten through without any harm done if you wouldn’t have told the story, you know that?”

Madi rolls her eyes. “What can I say pretty boy? I like harming.”

“Yeah yourself…”

“And people. It makes me laugh to see my friends especially you, Lachlan, pissed off.”

I turn away, completely done with this argument… Or conversation, I cannot tell when Madi is ever angry, serious, upset, or happy. So, basically all of the above.

“Alright! Let’s just forget about this! Why don’t we have a little fun?” I suggest. The girls look at each other, Madi raising her eyebrow, and Natalie shrugging almost like she was replying. “There is only three of us…”

“That’s why I am inviting some guests.”

3:08 PM

The six of us sit at a table, staring at each other. “So, what exactly is this? A reunion party?” Mitch asks, rolling his eyes.

“Can you seriously be any less of a dick?” Natalie snaps. I turn my head, a little turned on by her sassiness. “That depends... Can you be any less of a-” More than my voice interrupts him before he can say the word. We all just kind of look at each other like ‘Yo we just interrupted each other that’s quite cool.’

Preston sighs, agitated by the tension. “C’mon guys! We are all still friends here! Right…” He raises his eyebrow while scanning us. We all murmur a quite ‘Ugh’ and ‘I guess.’

“That’s it.” Preston stands up from the table. “We are getting drunk!”

And that’s when everyone lets out a smile and finally agrees.